African Union expresses firm support to one-China principle

The African Union stands firmly with China on the one-China principle and supports deeper cooperation between China and Africa for mutual prosperity, former deputy chairperson of the AU Commission said.

Addressing the opening of a photo exhibition marking the 81st anniversary of Taiwan's restoration to China on Friday, Erastus Mwencha said China and Africa shared similar history of foreign domination and struggles for national liberation.

"History resonates profoundly with us in Africa. Our own continent bears the deep scars of foreign domination, partition and subjugation," he said in Nairobi, Kenya.

"We therefore understand, deeply and intimately, the sacred value of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-determination."

Mwencha said the China-Africa bond was "forged in the crucible of a common struggle against colonialism," citing Beijing's support for African liberation movements in the latter half of last century. While reiterating AU's unwavering commitment to the one-China policy he said he hopes to see that the cross-Strait relations will remain defined by "peace, dialogue and constructive engagement."

Looking ahead, Mwencha said China-Africa ties are shifting from political solidarity toward cooperation in industrialization and shared prosperity. He thanked China for granting 53 African countries zero-tariff access to its market, which took effect on May 1.

Taiwan, which was forced to be ceded to Japan in 1895 following the First Sino-Japanese War, was declared to be restored to China on Oct 25, 1945, after China won the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression during World War II.

In 2025, the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress designated Oct 25 of each year as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration.

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said Taiwan's restoration to the motherland after 50 years of Japanese colonial rule was a major outcome of the global victory against fascism. The historical fact of Taiwan's restoration, together with international legal instruments such as the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, constitute a key link in the historical and legal chain underwriting the one-China principle.

Qin Minxue, president of the East Africa Association for the Promotion of China's Peaceful Reunification, said Taiwan's restoration was an important outcome of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the global struggle against fascism during World War II.

"Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait serve the common interests of people on both sides," he said. "As overseas Chinese, we firmly uphold the one-China principle, oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatism and external interference, and support the peaceful development of Cross-Strait relations and the peaceful reunification of China."

The photo exhibition was organized by Xinhua News Agency Africa Regional Bureau and other organizations, including East Africa Association for the Promotion of China's Peaceful Reunification, and features dozens of photos about Taiwan's restoration.

Shan Tianqing and Pei Tuo contributed to this story.

wangxiaodong@chinadaily.com.cn